Analytical methods for fissionable materials in the nuclear fuel cycle. Progress report, July 1, 1975--September 30, 1976

Technical Report · Wed Dec 01 04:00:00 EST 1976

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/7116409· OSTI ID:7116409

Waterbury, G R ^[1]

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1. comp.

Progress continued on development of dissolution techniques for difficult-to-dissolve nuclear materials, development of methods and automated instruments for determinations of plutonium and uranium, preparation of plutonium-containing materials for the Safeguards Analytical Laboratory Evaluation (SALE) program, analysis of SALE uranium materials, and measurement of plutonium isotope half-lives. Gas-solid reactions at elevated temperatures using reactive gases such as chlorine continue to show promise for separating uranium from refractory materials. An extensive study of nonaqueous solvents for the dissolution of refractory materials is in progress. An extraction-separation procedure, highly specific for microgram amounts of uranium, has been developed, and its adaptation to the Los Alamos Scientific Laboratory (LASL) automated spectrophotometer is being evaluated. Development of an electrometric analysis method for plutonium is nearing completion, and design of an automated instrument using the method has been started. Batches of plutonium oxide and mixed uranium--plutonium, intended for issue as Secondary Reference and Calibration Test Materials, are being recharacterized for assay and isotopic contents. The half-life of /sup 239/Pu has been determined by isotope-dilution mass-spectrometric measurement of /sup 235/U grow-in as a function of time.

• Research Organization: Los Alamos Scientific Lab., NM (USA)
• DOE Contract Number: W-7405-ENG-36
• OSTI ID: 7116409
• Report Number(s): LA-6577-PR
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

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